Falling
by ProjectVORTEX
Summary: STNJ rebuilds following the completion of the anime, but nothing is ever as it seems when facing witches. Facing a threat greater than they have ever known, they turn to some unlikely allies from overseas. Post-series.
1. Prologue

The black trenchcoat seemed out of place compared to the sea of brightly colored clothing. Miho Karasuma's eyes scanned the nightlife of the city's nightclub district, looking for a familiar face on the busy sidewalk. Though she hardly noticed the coat when she was wearing it, the looks of the people around her were constant reminders that it really didn't help her blend in too well. Then again, she hardly wore the coat when not on duty (which was seldom these days) and probably would have been dressed like one of the crowd on any other night.

She turned a corner, starting down the next street in her search pattern. Over the past few weeks the team of hunters from STN-J had studied and profiled their target carefully. This case had been of a higher priority than most; their target was a 24-year old witch named Kotoko Omori. A seventh-generation descendant from a very potent line of witches, Omori had started to show signs of awakening at her job. It had been sheer coincidence, a separate investigation where Omori's name had come up, that the STN-J team had discovered this.

Michael's analysis of all the information they had and could gather on Kotoko had been exhaustive. From the types of food she ate to the places she frequented, he and the rest of the team had researched all they could on her. They had chosen tonight, the middle of the work-week and the time when this part of the city would be the quietest, as their date to act.

Unfortunately, there were factors working against them as well. They had not been able to draft up a plan to catch her because Kotoko's habits were erratic in this section. Though they had been able to interview the shopkeepers and other witnesses in the area, discreetly, there was no set sequence to Kotoko's movements. Sometimes she went to a dozen shops and stores, stopped in at bars, and had a good time all around. Sometimes she only went to a small handful.

A second problem was that she had inadvertently managed to elude the Public Safety cameras that were spread across the area. Public Safety had, over the years installed a network of cameras to watch traffic and pedestrians alike, and Michael could tap into that network and run his own programs and analysis on the images. Unfortunately, the only sighting they had caught of her had been a brief one as she walked further into the district. The routine sweeps of the traffic cameras had not revealed her car.

"Michael, this is Haruto. Target has been sighted at my location, Point E. She's just now leaving the store here. Do you want me to follow?" Sakaki's voice still sounded young, but it was far more mature than the Sakaki who had come into the station a year ago. Karasuma thought it interesting how much the young hunter had grown and changed over the past few months. He wasn't the only one.

There was a brief pause before Micahel's voice replied, slightly staticy. "Yes. What direction is she headed?"

"Towards Point D."

"Dojima-san, move to Point C and meet Karasuma-san there. Sakaki, if she turns at Point D, let me know. If that happens the girls will move to Point F instead." Michael issued commands like a military general, but in reality he was more like a chess player, trying to position his pieces to stop their opponent. The only difference between this and a chess game – the opponent didn't know she was even playing in this game.

Karasuma confirmed the order, turning around and trying not to bump into anyone on the sidewalk. She could feel the weight of the modified Glock pistol that was holstered at her hip, a reminder of what had been and no longer was. She was still getting used to the feel and weight of the gun.

They had been required to start carrying guns after Factory had been neutralized. The bullets within the guns and the ammunition clips were specially warded to deal with Craft users, but were otherwise normal bullets. Unlike Orbo bullets, these were lethal to both humans and Craft users. It made Karasuma sad that she had to carry such a weapon now but she was not sure if the sorrow had to do with the loss of Factory and the loss of their trust in it or the fact that they were now shooting to kill.

Personally, Karasuma had preferred the idea of a "humane" hunt. That idea had been destroyed instead when it had been revealed to everyone what Factory was really doing with the Craft users they caught. Yes, shooting the witches would have been better than putting them through a never-ending torture where their very essence was extracted, but it required hatred to pull the trigger and Karasuma somedays wondered if she had the hatred in her to do just that. As a Craft user herself, and one who had been the victim of a Hunt, she sometimes felt a kinship with those they hunted.

The crosswalk signal turned green as she approached it. Swiftly, she moved across the street. Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she saw another figure in the traditional black trench coat hurrying up. The trench coat was unbuttoned, revealing a lime-green skirt and top on underneath. Doujima hurried across the street at an angle, almost running headlong into a taxi.

Karasuma shook her head and smiled as the other woman fell in beside her, noting the determined look on Dojima's face. It had been a surprise to learn that the girl was actually a SOLOMON agent, and once she had demonstrated just how proficient she really was the girl had become a much greater asset to the team.

"Michael, the target has passed Point D and is now moving towards Point C," Sakaki's voice chirped in her ear. Karasuma did not ease her stride at all – they had just reached the point designated as Point C and were still walking up the street towards the direction Sakaki – and Kotoko – were coming from.

"Copy. Karasuma-san? Doujima-san? Are you two in position?"

Eyes scanning the people around them, Karasuma shook her head even though she knew Michael could not see it. "We're at Point C, Michael, but there are a lot of people around." Though there were fewer people here on this block than had been on the last block, there were still plenty of potential witnesses to see whatever they might try. It only took one person with a cell phone camera to record the incident or call the prefectural police. Neither of those were something that STN-J desired, especially at this fragile point in time.

"That's fine. There's an alleyway between Points C and D. Hanako is moving into position there."

So it was to be an ambush, then. Miho's hand drifted beneath her trenchcoat. Tentatively she fingered the heavy, cold grip of the pistol in its holster. She had not had to fire it yet, but every new hunt brought her closer and closer to having to do so. Would tonight be the night that she used it? A sidelong glance at Doujima showed that the other girl was reaching slowly into her purse, reassuring herself that her own weapon was there and ready for use.

"Well, let's get this over with," Miho smiled and teased Doujima. "You might yet be able to get some shopping done tonight."

They both knew what was coming, the confrontation that was inevitable. The tension was easily felt in each footstep Miho took, in each breath. The easiest way to remove the tension was to find some humor in the moment.

Dojima shook her head and smiled, brushing away a stray strand of blonde hair from her face. "Have you seen the prices here? They're way too expensive for what I make. I'd rather buy through a catalog than to shop here."

Karasuma spotted a hand waving in the air down the block. After a second, she picked out Sakaki's brown hair. The target was just in front of him. Miho squinted, looking closer, and now could see the face of Kotoko. It was a face they had memorized before starting on this mission. Her outfit was definitely meant for a night on the town – red miniskirt with purple blouse, and a purse strapped over her arm that had both colors. Her arms were laden with shopping bags.

An idea sprung into Karasuma's mind. "Michael, I think she's done here for the evening, or at the very least is taking her purchases back to her car. She has a lot of shopping bags in her hands. Do we have any idea where she's parked?"

Though a great many Japanese relied on public transportation to get around, some enjoyed the luxury of their own car. When they had run their target's information through Public Safety, it had been a pleasant surprise to discover that there was car registration information as a part of her record. Knowing the car's license plates as well as its make and model had been particularly helpful in tracking her movements over the past few weeks.

"Give me a moment, Karasuma-san," the reply came back. On the other side of the line, in the comforting confines of Raven's Flat, Michael would undoubtedly be combing over camera footage from the parking lot security cameras, trying to find the car that matched. Karasuma had her doubts, however – what if she had not come by car? Could she be returning home by taxi or another means?

"Her car is not parked at her apartment," Michael's words a moment later dispelled the worry that had appeared in the back of her mind. "I'm checking the south lots right now."

Off to one side was a doorway. Placing a casual hand on Doujima's arm, she nodded to the doorway. Until they knew exactly where Kotoko's car was parked, there was no sense in continuing to wander around aimlessly. "Michael, we're going to stand by here until you have something for us."

Back at STN-J, Michael's eyes scanned computer screens as his fingers flew over the keyboard in front of him. There were over twenty parking lots within a half-mile radius of the team's location, and each had to be checked for their target's car. Michael was not without help, though – he was running program after program to make finding the car faster and easier. Image recognition programs, data retrieval programs, even GPS backtracking programs were in use now. Time was critical. This was when Michael was in his element.

The computer beeped. A screen in front of him changed, showing a parking lot with a car highlighted in yellow. Three keystrokes later and Michael had enough information. "Karasuma-san, Doujima-san, I've found Kotoko's car. It's located in parking lot A-7, spot 16."

Karasuma smiled as she took in the information. "Very good, Michael. We're on our way now." She glanced at Doujima from the corner of her eye, giving a nod which was returned. Then, the two girls slipped into the shadows of the alley and disappeared from sight. Only Sakaki was left to keep watch over their target.

For Kotoko Omori, the evening had been like any other spent out on the town. She had stopped by some of her favorite stores and had come away with some good deals. The clothing she had bought was all very cute and she knew that her friends would definitely agree with her. It was definitely a good thing that the miracle had happened.

Kotoko worked as an office-worker in the middle of town and had always made just enough to get by. It had been a couple weeks ago that she had noticed something different about her – as she stopped at an ATM to get some cash her focus had been on not having enough money to buy what she wanted. Something inside her head had "snapped", for lack of a better term, and when she looked down at the ATM it was spitting yen notes all over. Since then, anytime she concentrated on an ATM and focused, she found that they would obediently throw money out at her. It was with this miracle that she had been able to make her purchases this evening.

The parking lot was ahead and she reached for her keyring. With a touch of the correct button, the trunk of the car obediently opened and the doors unlocked. Kotoko's mind was focused on her purchases as she dropped the bags in the trunk and closed it. She would have to invite her friends over to show them off tomorrow. Then, maybe, they would go out and have a night on the town.

Sitting down in the driver's seat she adjusted the rear-view mirror. To her surprise, there was a face in the back seat – a young girl dressed in a black dress. The girl's lips were moving, forming words, but Kotoko could not hear them. Before she could think to scream, the world around her faded to black. Kotoko Omori had been caught.


	2. Chapter One: Beginnings

_For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;  
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;  
The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell._  
Solomon 2:11-13

__

Saint Louis, Missouri  
Eight months later  
9:00 AM EDT

The Soulard neighborhood of Saint Louis appeared at first glance to be like any other urban neighborhood. Traffic moved smoothly along Russell Boulevard, the neighborhood's main connection with the I-55 beltway and, more importantly, its main commercial district. Known more for bars and restaurants (and the Budweiser brewery located on the southern end of the neighborhood), Soulard did contain several small but well-off commercial businesses. Most of these businesses had existed in the neighborhood for countless generations. Among these was a small brownstone building on whose door was a sign: "Solomon Executive Organization / United States Division / Midwestern Region".

To the inquiring locals this business was well-known for providing companies with personnel at all levels of business. Several local firms had employees who had come from Solomon Executive, and the company's eight regional offices across the United States were a testament to how well they performed and how highly their clients thought of them. Had it been known that Solomon Executive was merely a front for another, far more ancient organization, many of those clients would have been extremely surprised. Only the "real" employees of the company knew the truth – that behind the façade of a successful hiring and temp agency resided another agency whose purpose was vital to the survival of the human race. None of those who the agency referred were even remotely aware that the true mission of Solomon Executive was the monitoring, tracking, and hunting of human beings known as "witches".

Known within the global corporation as "STN-US", the United States Division had been in existence for close to two hundred years. With headquarters in Boston and offices in major cities, STN-US had come to be known among Solomon as one of the finer hunter operations. The Americans had great amounts of ingenuity and invention which enabled them to stay with or ahead of the changing times.

One of the byproducts of this ingenuity and invention resided within the Midwestern Region office. Each Solomon Executive Organization office was operated with a staff of nine people; six hunters who carried out the standard hunts and performed investigations, two support staff, and one office manager who reported directly to the Division administrator. However, the Midwestern Region office was unique in that it contained a working staff of sixteen. Of these, nine of these were the standard staff for the regional office while the remaining seven made up a special unit known as "Legacy".

The Legacy Unit was a special force that had been created during the 1970s as an experimental concept. With the rise of SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) teams entering the 1970s the American branch of Solomon had copied the basic concept and created a unit whose role was to handle extraordinary tasks that regular Region offices might be overwhelmed with. Some of these tasks included the hunting of particularly dangerous witches as well as investigations that resided closer to the public eye than normal. With the advent of the internet and twenty-four hour news services, the Legacy Unit had seen its role increase substantially across the nation.

The day had dawned bright and clear and spring was clearly evident as pedestrians wore light jackets and the newspaper headlines talked about the upcoming baseball season. For the Midwestern Region office personnel this was a day like any other. Employees made their way into the building, passing the successive layers of security as they did so. The regional staff started their days at their respective desks, checking e-mails, playing back phone messages, and reviewing assignments. For the Legacy Unit the day began in the second-floor conference room.

Julia Charles waited as the rest of her team hurried in to the conference room. A tall woman with hazel eyes and a very slight physique, Julia was a top-notch hunter who had been active on the hunt for ten years. Promoted as the Manager for the Legacy Unit a few months prior, Julia had made the transition from fieldwork to personnel management smoothly. Unlike many Managers she was quiet and soft-spoken, yet her words carried a weight to them that few could rival, and she was nothing if not intelligent.

Once the remaining members of the team had arrived, Julia shut the door and turned to face the assembled team. "Good morning. It's a nice day outside, I know, and we have a lot going on so I will try to be quick."

Picking up her notes, she adjusted the glasses on the bridge of her nose and started with the first point on the list. "We have received word from HQ that the Investigative Division has completed their investigation into the Japanese branch – STN-J – and the organization called "Factory" that operated with STN-J."

Ears perked up at this news. The investigation had been ongoing for almost a year now, ever since members of Solomon International had launched a raid on the Factory complex following STN-J's 'silence' in the aftermath of a Solomon raid on the STN-J offices at Raven's Flat. It had been believed that Factory had somehow killed or eliminated the remaining staff of STN-J. Rather than let operational secrets fall into the hands of a company who had yet to be vetted into Solomon, a decision had been made to move on Factory directly. At that time the Legacy team had been on standby, waiting at the airport for confirmation of the orders that would have sent them on that mission.

Instead, at the last moment members of STN-J had resurfaced and Legacy had been ordered to stand down. The remaining members of the Japanese field branch had carried out an infiltration into Factory and had successfully neutralized it. However, although STN-J had been vindicated by events, the matter had still required a very careful – and thorough – investigation by Solomon International. The last thing anyone wanted was for something to slip through the cracks that could come back to do harm to the organization.

"The conclusion of the Investigative Division was that Director Zaizen was responsible for Factory's involvement in STN-J affairs, was involved in the attempted murder of STN-J personnel as well as the deaths of several Solomon hunters, and ordered Factory hunts on witches without Solomon sanctioning. Director Zaizen, it was determined, was killed in the self-destruction of Factory. Two of STN-J's former agents who helped organize and lead the raid were confirmed as missing and considered dead – while bodies were never recovered it is believed that they could not have survived the destruction of the building."

There was a general sigh of relief from the team sitting around the table, but almost immediately a hand went up. Julia sighed, knowing whose hand it was without even looking up. "Yes, Anne?"

"Why do I get the feeling that this is more than a simple 'case closed'? Solomon wouldn't bother giving us that much detail unless they were seeking our help." A younger woman's voice asked the question that was on the minds of everyone in the room. Anne James was one of Legacy's computer specialists and was also a very skilled field operative. Though she was diminutive in stature, Anne's presence often made her far more imposing. Dressed in a black t-shirt and matching skirt, the college-aged Hunter gazed impassively at Julia with a smile on her face that suggested she already knew the answer – something that Julia often found both unnerving and annoying.

Julia did not miss a beat. She had gotten used to this and tended to try and stay a step ahead of Anne. "We received a request from Solomon International to send a unit over and perform an independent verification. Even though STN-J is officially reinstated, Solomon wants an extra set of eyes to verify that everything is as it should be."

"What about the two reported MIA? I'd be suspicious if the bodies were never recovered – someone might be hiding something."

"Nothing official on that front," Julia said, flipping to the second page of her notes to double-check. As far as I am aware Solomon went over that angle with a fine-toothed comb – they even sent in their highest-ranked Hunter to verify. If there was any evidence that they are alive it would be very surprising."

The team fell silent as everyone gathered their thoughts and wondered to themselves who was being sent over. International investigations were a very rare occurrence due to the high amount of work in-country that the team already had. This made this assignment all the more exciting and intriguing, and it made everyone hesitant to ask the obvious for fear that they would not be picked to participate.

Finally, Anne broached the question. She was as curious as anyone else and, as the youngest agent on the team (and the least experienced), she realized her chances were not great but landing an assignment like this would be a chance for her to show off her best work. "Who do you want to send over?"

"There are several assignments still on our plates," Julia replied, glancing over her shoulder at the whiteboard which showed the assignments currently in operation. The list was rather long. "I want to only send a two-man team for the time being. I don't think this requires our full attention at this time. Anne, I want you to lead on this one with assistance from John. You have a great deal of computer expertise and know the networks as well as anyone else, so if you can interface with their computer specialist that will give us a great read on their files."

Turning her attention to a man sitting across the table, she continued. "John, you and your brother are fluent in language and familiar with customs and the area. I can't afford to send both of you and your plate is the cleanest right now, so I want you to accompany Anne and back her up on the people side."

Anne's gaze met the emerald-eyed gaze of John Gordon, a Hunter and specialist in psychological profiling. Both exchanged a short nod before he turned his attention back to Julia. "Of course. I haven't been to Tokyo in a few years so it will be nice to return and see how the city has changed." Briefly he exchanged a glance with his brother, Sam, then returned his focus to the front of the table.

"Excellent. Your flights are set for the day after tomorrow out of Lambert. The agency is finalizing the arrangements now but your tickets will be ready before the end of the day along with the clearances from Homeland Security. Are there any questions?" Julia's eyes moved from one person to another. At seeing that there were no questions she flipped to the next page in her notes.

As the meeting continued with details of current and completed assignments, Anne allowed herself a brief moment of reflection on the mission. Already she was hard at work at her laptop, gathering whatever information she could and preparing her notes for the trip ahead. Anne was not one to typically lead an assignment – her skills and abilities were more naturally suited for a supporting role – but this was an opportunity she was keenly excited on. Though she had rarely partnered with John they had worked together as part of the overall unit, which gave her insights into his strengths and weaknesses and, she was certain, it gave him the same on her.

But something nagged at the back of her mind – a concern that was slow to go away. Though the two Hunters from STN-J had been reported MIA, Anne suspected that there was more than met the eye. Solomon had a history of thoroughness in their operations. It was not like them to declare agents dead without recovering a body or sufficient evidence to prove their deaths. Yet if the top Hunter from Solomon International had confirmed them as such, there had to be a compelling reason for it. Only time would tell.

_  
Raven's Flat  
Tokyo, Japan  
10:30 PM JST (9:30 AM EST)_

Halfway across the world dusk had turned to night as the workday came to an end. Most who worked during the day were in their apartments or homes now, preparing for sleep and readying for another day of work. At Raven's Flat, the team of STN-J had largely retired for the day already. No hunts were planned for the evening, giving all a much-desired evening off. Up in the computer room of the Flat, Michael Lee worked tirelessly over his computer. Raven's Flat had become his home in a sense. It was true that he slept in this very building, on a cot in the adjacent room, but there was nowhere else he wanted to be as there was still much work to be done.

Keeping the flow of data flowing for STN-J was a large part of his responsibilities, and the ex-hacker never tired of it. Even now he had several programs running on the net, gathering information on prospective witches, tracking data on the Solomon network, and monitoring the news for any signs of a witch-related case making the news. It was a part of his daily routine – he would work until about 2 AM and then retire for the night and be awake again by 7.

As music flowed from his headphones and his eyes jumped from screen to screen of data, Michael reflected on the past few months. Following the events with Factory, Solomon International and STN-J had been quick to restore their ties. The new Director had quickly gotten the station running in a smooth manner which had boosted morale and helped focus everyone. Michael supposed this was because Director Kosaka had been a police detective for many years and was familiar with running operations such as this. Regardless, a new Hunter had been assigned to the team and STN-J and Solomon International shared far more data than they had under Director Zaizen.

A beep startled Michael from his reverie and his gaze shifted to a screen that had appeared on a second computer monitor. This monitor was dedicated towards analysis of all data from Solomon International, and the beep had been an alarm to inform him when one of his search algorithms detected data of interest. After a moment of coaxing the data forward, Michael raised an eyebrow and whistled.

STN-US had been instructed to send a team of Hunters to Japan. His thoughts raced as he wondered why the Americans would be sending a team over without giving proper notification to STN-J. There certainly was nothing currently being handled that required intervention or assistance. A minute of reading over the full data gave him better context and his alarm and interest subsided slightly.

Solomon had instructed STN-US to send part of the Legacy team to Japan, but not to hunt. Their purpose was to verify Solomon's inspection and review matters. Though this was definitely a better reason than what he had initially supposed – it would have injured the pride of the STN-J team if the Americans had been coming over to intervene in their jurisdiction and Hunt without clearing it with them first – it was still curious. The investigation by Solomon had taken months to complete but they had finally closed the book, or so everyone had thought.

Diving into the network, Michael did his best to obtain any additional information as to why the Americans were coming over. However, after several hours of hunting, he had little else than what he had first started with. The orders for Legacy had been given by Solomon International only a few hours earlier; Legacy had not even informed International yet as to which agents they were sending. On the Legacy team there was precious little – boilerplate dossiers on its members and the standard paperwork that any field office generated, but nothing that would offer a clue as to who might be sent.

Michael wondered if this was somehow related to Robin. While the hunt order against her had been called off after she had been reported dead, Michael did not know if Solomon knew something that he or the members of STN-J did not. There might very well be information out there that could have sparked this that he had missed. The Americans were not often sent overseas – their country was sufficiently large that STN-US largely focused on its own domestic matters. That Legacy was being used was a sign that maybe there was more than met the eye. And if the matter pertained to Robin… well, he would not dwell on it now. There was no sense on trying to worry when you were tired.

Standing and stretching, satisfied that he had done enough work for one day, Michael made his way into his "bedroom". His fingers brushed the light switch on the wall as he passed, and by the time he made it to the bed the lights were already out. A laptop sat on the table beside the bed as a precaution, its light casting an eerie glow on the sheets and covers of the bed. There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind, as if there was something that he had overlooked, but he would go back over it tomorrow when he was better rested.

_  
Unknown Residence  
Tokyo, Japan_

Even as Michael shut down for the evening, somewhere in the city data was being shown on another computer monitor. A pair of dark eyes looked over the data as it scrolled past, displaying for its viewer the same data that Michael had been looking at earlier. Unlike Michael, however, the observer was not concerned about something being missed. Rather, there was danger lurking at every corner and the stranger was sure there was more here than met the eye.

It was not hard to be suspicious when one's life was tenuous and when there was that ever-present danger. Presenting a cause for suspicion only made it easier to be suspicious. There were so many possibilities for Legacy's visit that the true reason was not easily discernable. That, in and of itself, merited suspicion. It seemed most likely that their intent was ill in nature.

At the same time, though, moderation demanded that he be patient and wait. As his eyes turned from the monitor to the skyline lit by the orange glow of streetlights and the red and white streaks of cars, the stranger knew that the Americans' true purpose would be revealed soon. Until then, though, he would stick to the shadows, aware that danger lurked everywhere.


End file.
